Even yogic postures and sequences that don’t bring your heart rate into the aerobic range can improve your cardiovascular conditioning. Studies have found that yoga practice lowers the resting heart rate and increases the maximum uptake of oxygen as well as endurance during exercise, all indications of improved aerobic conditioning. In people with heart disease, a comprehensive lifestyle program that included yoga asana resulted in an improvement in the heart’s pumping ability. One study found that subjects who practiced just pranayama (breathwork) could work harder with reduced oxygen consumption. (source: Timothy McCall, M.D.)
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Resources
Reading Room
- Autobiography of a Yogi
- Bikram Yoga, Bikram Choudhury's Book
- Bringing Yoga To Life – The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living – by Donna Farhi
- Eat for Health by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
- Foundation
- Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, Symbols, Secrets & Metaphors
- In An Unspoken Voice – How The Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness – by Peter Levine
- Intuition, Knowing Beyond Logic by Osho
- Live in a Better Way by Dalai Lama
- Living, Loving & Learning by Leo Buscaglia
- Striking Thoughts – Wisdom for Daily Living – by Bruce Lee
- The Deeper Dimension of Yoga by George Feuerstein
- The Four Agreements
- The Four Elements of Change
- The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikarchar
- The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
- The Reflective Life by Ken Gire
- The Sacred Yes
- The Seeker's Guide – Making Your Life A Spiritual Adventure
- The Untethered Soul
- The Way We're Working Isn't Working by Tony Schwartz
- The Wisdom of Insecurity
- Yoga & Ayurveda, Self-Healing & Self-Realization by David Frawley
- Yoga Gems by Georg Feuerstein
Movies